


from now on

by rxginamills



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Childbirth, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Pregnancy, i love the greatest showman with all my heart, i'm kinda sad i wanted to make this really good and i've had the idea for a while :(, i'm sorry if this is cringy, p.t. and charity are my otp and charity is my fave character but anne and phillip are so cute, zendaya is perfect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-02 23:52:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14556318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rxginamills/pseuds/rxginamills
Summary: It wasn't going to last forever. They all knew it. It didn't make Anne and Phillip's news any less shocking.





	from now on

Phillip and Anne Carlyle stood in front of all their friends - their co-workers, their partners in crime, the people they trusted with everything - and felt more nervous than they had ever before. They held hands, desperately seeking for support from each other. Everyone looked so happy. They were smiling with an excited glint in their eyes. Anne's heart felt warmer with every smile she saw in the group of people. 

"Spill the beans, you two!" said Charles, grinning from ear to ear. Anne took a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant."

They were swarmed with hugs, squeals, laughter, tears; every kind of human emotion was flying around the room. Lettie embraced Anne tightly and whispered kind words over and over. W.D. grabbed his sister in his arms and twirled her around multiple times. The reality of their happy news hadn't even set in yet. It wasn't until Charles spoke that everyone realized what was happening.

"But wait - are you gonna stop doing the trapeze?" 

"Yes." Anne said and looked down at her feet.

"How long are you gonna be gone? When are you coming back?" 

Anne shut her eyes, squeezing them closed as tight as she could. She hoped that maybe, in some miraculous way, they would seal themselves shut so that she wouldn't have to see the faces of her people when she explained everything to them. Phillip put his hand on her back. He knew exactly how hard this was for his wife; she wasn't the only one making difficult decisions about the future. 

"I'm not coming back."

The words were dripping with regret and ache. Phillip felt them like a sharp sting in his back.

"You're _what_?!" echoed a shocked voice from the back of the room.

"Phillip and I won't be doing circus anymore. We're quitting." 

Everyone began speaking loudly at the same time. Lettie and Anne tried to calm everyone down but it was useless. Pointed fingers came Anne and Phillip's way and the latter was slowly losing his patience.

"Stop! Stop! Let us talk, please!" he yelled over everyone. They stopped talking as soon as they had started and focused their attention to the ringmaster of the circus. He looked at the people in front of him as a group, strong and beautiful, and then as individuals, each of them powerful and unique. 

"Anne and I have been thinking about this for a while. We hate leaving this circus behind but it's time for us to move on. We are having a child together and that child is our future. One of you will become the new ringmaster and the circus will keep shining and bringing happiness into people's lives. Just not with us. I want this family with Anne more than anything and I'm ready to leave my position as ringmaster to look after it." 

Anne stepped forward and took Phillip's hand once more, "I want this too, you have no idea just how much. This circus won't die when Phillip and I leave, it will keep prospering but _only_ if you keep working together like you always have. Phillip and I are not the only people holding this circus in place. We are all a part of it and _that's_ the reason why Phineas left it in our care, it's why everything will be okay even after the two of us leave. That's what I want to tell our child when they ask for a story. Please let that be what we'll tell our child. Please."

Their speech was convincing and touching. More importantly, it was correct. To make Anne and Phillip choose between their future family and their job was wrong. Phineas Barnum had trusted Phillip and the rest of the group with his life's work; the circus was his everything and he had made Phillip the ringmaster because he knew that it would stay alive through the souls of these amazing, passionate people. They wouldn't throw it away now, not when it was at its prime. Phineas and Phillip's legacy would live on. 

"They're right," Lettie spoke up and turned towards the group, "They're right, we can't possibly _blame_ them for wanting to start a family together. Anne and Phillip have done so much for us. They've made their choice and we can't change that. Now we have to make ours: do we direct our anger at these innocent, young people just looking for happiness with their future child or do we turn that anger into power that we use to bring brilliance and new life into this place? What do we do?"

The room was silent. Then W.D. stepped forward and walked to his sister's side, clasping her hand in his.

"I'm with my sister. Always."

Anne's eyes gleamed with grateful tears and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Charles was next to speak.

"Come on. Like we'd ever leave you in trouble. Who's with me?"

Every single hand in the room was raised as high as possible. Phillip laughed happily and hugged Anne and W.D. Cheers erupted around them. The choice was made. The circus would live.

—

 _"How do we rewrite the stars?_  
_Say you were made to be mine?_  
_Nothing can keep us apart_  
_'Cause you are the one I was meant to find…_ _"_

Anne folded baby clothes into neat piles and hummed the oh-so-familiar tune to herself. Phillip noticed this as he passed their bedroom in the hallway and stayed in the doorway to listen. He smiled lovingly. The sight of his wife folding clothes for their future child, their pride and joy, made him so happy. Anne was made to be a mother.

” _It's up to you_  
_And it's up to me_  
_No one can say what we get to be_ ,” 

Anne kept singing. Phillip stepped inside the bedroom quietly. 

”That’s our song.” 

Anne turned around at his voice and flashed him a smile, ”That _is_ our song.”

Phillip sat on the floor and pulled Anne into his arms. They remained there, holding each other. Their happiness couldn’t be measured; it spread far and wide, probably to outer space. Finding out that they would become parents made them infinitely happier people.

”What are you thinking about?” Anne asked Phillip after they had stayed silent for a while.

”How great of a mother you’ll be.” 

”Want to know what _I’m_ thinking about?”

”Do tell.”

”How amazing of a father you’ll be.”

Phillip kissed Anne’s forehead many times, ”Our daughter is going to have the best parents.” 

Anne sat up straight and turned so that she was facing Phillip. She raised a brow at him questioningly, ”Our _daughter?”_

 _”_ Yeah. We’re having a girl. _”_

”We’re having a boy, Phillip.”

The young couple smirked at each other for a second. Then they began chasing each other around the bedroom. Anne jumped on the bed and crawled over it but Phillip grabbed her ankle before she made it across the sheets. He pulled his squealing and giggling wife to him and kissed her on the mouth. She melted into it quickly.

”Whatever the sex of the baby is, it will be so loved. That’s what matters.” she said when she pulled back. Phillip nudged Anne’s nose with his own, ”You’re right.”

”Of course I am.”  

— 

The due date of the first Carlyle baby was days away, meaning that Anne could've gone into labor any moment possible. Phillip watched her every move anxiously and helped her down every single staircase, no matter how many steps there were, even after she had made it clear that she didn't need help.

(She did, but she was way too tough to admit it. She was truly grateful for her husband.)

The upcoming childbirth wasn't the only thing on their mind, however. They had yet to choose a new ringmaster for the circus and narrowing all their friends down to one person was extremely difficult. Everyone was deserving of the spot. W.D. had been the first person on Anne's mind. He did possess the qualities that a ringmaster needed, but so did many others. Nonetheless a decision had to be made.

One day, when Anne and Phillip were sitting around their living room table and pondering their final choice for the last time, Anne jerked forward abruptly.

"Whoa," she breathed, "I think baby Carlyle agrees with our choice." 

She jerked again, "Ow!"

Phillip looked up from his newspaper, "Are you okay? What's wrong? What's happening?" 

Anne put her hands over her large stomach, "I think my water just broke."

Phillip's eyes practically popped out of their sockets and he stood up quickly, "Wh - what? Are you sure?!" 

"Well, I definitely feel something wet down there and I can assure you I am _not_  peeing myself."

Phillip began running around the room and jumping half a metre high from the floor. He was running his hands through his hair so fast that Anne feared it might fall out. 

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER! I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" 

" _PHILLIP_! YOU HAVE TO GET ME TO THE HOSPITAL FIRST!" 

And so they rushed out of their house together and shoved themselves into the car. Phillip rammed the gas pedal with his foot and sped off towards the hospital. Anne was letting out short and rapid breaths next to him. It didn't take long for them to arrive and the next thing Anne knew, she was scooted away on a wheelchair. Phillip ran after her and the nurse. His heart stung a little every time Anne exclaimed in pain. 

"You'll pay for this Phillip Carlyle!" she yelled angrily and closed her eyes.

"I love you too!" Phillip yelled back. Then his voice went soft, "I really… I really do."

- 

After hours of laying in bed and squeezing Phillip's hand so tight that she almost cut off his blood circulation, the childbirth was over. A screaming little human being was nestled in the nurse's arms. Although still stained with blood and other fluids, it was the most beautiful baby Anne and Phillip had ever seen in their life. Half of them both. 

"Congratulations," the nurse smiled, "This is your son." 

Anne began weeping and put her arms out towards the crying baby boy in the nurse's arms. Phillip leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. 

"My… my son," he whispered, "I have a son. You - you were right, Anne, you were right all along." 

"I knew it, oh I just knew it," Anne whispered and kissed the top of her son's head over and over again, "Hi baby. I'm your mommy and this is your daddy and we're going to love you and protect you forever."

Phillip kneeled next to the bed and brushed his thumb over the baby's head. He was perfect. Phillip had never known that love like this could even exist, but when he first laid eyes on his son, the concept he had previously thought of as love was thrown away. This boy was his whole life. His wife and son were his whole life now. 

There was a soft knock on the door. The new parents looked up from their baby and saw Lettie peeking through the doorway, "May we come in?" 

"Yes, please do." Anne said happily. The door opened fully and she saw that W.D., Phineas and Charity were with her. Charity put her hands over her mouth and gasped.

"Oh, how beautiful! Congratulations!" she went forward and embraced Anne and Phillip as well as she could. Phineas was up next. He gave a big hug to Phillip, who had become his good friend over the years. They had also chosen him as the godfather for their child. Lettie and W.D. hugged Anne and Phillip last, making sure that they were both doing well. It took Anne three repetitive times to assure her brother that she was really feeling okay. 

"So… a girl or a boy? More of our friends are outside and we all want to know," Lettie said, "If you're okay with sharing, I mean." 

"It's fine, Lettie. I would like to introduce you all to our son… Phineas Carlyle." 

Charity immediately cast a look at her husband, whose smile widened significantly. 

"You named him after me? My godson is called Phineas?" 

Anne nodded, "It's for everything that you've done for us. You gave us all something to live for, a reason to fight back when we feel like everything is crashing down on top of us. You taught us the meaning of unity. Our son will know all about his godfather and why he's the most brilliant man we know." 

"And that's not all," Phillip grinned, "We've been thinking about who we would like to offer the place of ringmaster to since we're quitting to raise our child. Ultimately it was my choice, as I am the current ringmaster, but Anne helped me in the right direction. We've made up our minds and we couldn't be happier. Lettie, we would be _incredibly_ honoured if you became the new ringmaster of our circus."

Lettie's eyes welled up with tears, "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious." Anne said. She leaned down to give little Phineas a kiss on the cheek. The baby was blissfully unaware of everything going on around him. 

"Oh - oh - oh, it would be the greatest honor! I accept!" Lettie exclaimed. Anne handed Phineas over to Phillip and hugged her tightly. They stayed there for a long time. After the older Phineas had left the circus to raise his daughters, Lettie and Anne had found themselves becoming closer and closer friends with each passing day. They had similar views of the world and genuinely enjoyed being around each other. They could always lean on the other for support and that was one of the many reasons why Anne had recommended Lettie to Phillip. 

Everything was peaceful and well in the room. The circus had its new ringmaster and Anne and Phillip had their family. P.T. Barnum has a godson named after him to keep the legend alive within him. It was the perfect, most idyllic scene. Phillip held Phineas and Anne looked at them adoringly from the side, holding W.D.'s hand as she did. Charity leaned her head on her husband's shoulder. She was so happy for the new, young parents. She knew exactly how Anne felt. Seeing Phineas with their two girls was the most beautiful thing she would ever get to witness. 

From that point on, all would be well. The world would be filled with love as powerful as the one in the hospital room. Phineas Carlyle let out the smallest cooing sound. It was good now. 

 


End file.
